Arles

ABOVE: Arles, at the top of the Rhône
Delta, was the southernmost port on the MS Maribelle's Southern France cruise itinerary.

From Les Baux, the coaches took us to
Arles, the
capital of France's Camargue region, where our guides led us on a walking tour
of the city.

Arles, was a Roman colony from 125
B.C. until the 6th Century A.D. Its Roman Arena, which is more than 2,000
years old, is still used for Spanish and Camargue-style bullfights. (The arena
was also used for a chase scene in the 1998 action movie Ronin with
Robert De Niro and Jean Reno,)

In more recent times, Arles
inspired more than 200 paintings and 100 drawings by Vincent Van Gogh,
who lived in the city from 1888 to 1890. The
Café Terrace,
a.k.a. the "Yellow Café," is still serving drinks in the same location where Van
Gogh painted its awnings, tables, and patrons more than a century ago.

After our rather hurried walk
around the town, we returned to the MS Maribelle, which had arrived
from Avignon. The next excursion on our schedule was Roman Aqueduct of
Pont
du Gard, which is described on the next page.